NOVPUBChapter 223: The Upper Hive
The system that Ben and Elvira discussed wasn’t some omniscient, world-spanning network. It was more like a localized magical intranet, only functioning within areas covered by Elvira’s mana circuit arrays. Even then, the information it could transmit was limited.
The funny thing about magic was this: while mages could teleport physical objects through connected circles without much hassle, transmitting information was a whole different story.
Messages needed to be layered with intense obfuscation, coded, scrambled, sealed, then decoded again on the receiving end. Just to send a paragraph of text, the system often required the magical equivalent of ninety-nine pages of encryption runes.
Ben had asked her once, “Why bother? Why make it that complicated?”
Elvira’s answer had been simple: “Because my beloved, unlike on your old world, people here can see the signal. Mages can directly read the ambient mana.
And the last thing you want is for a Magus to intercept your communication mid-cast and rewrite it in the air. That’s why our encryption is so bloated.”
There was an alternative, sending information physically, through enchanted scrolls or encoded crystal drives. But that came with its own problems.
Someone had to carry it. Someone had to maintain the network. And once physical transport was required, the entire idea of a seamless, automated system fell apart.
“It defeats the purpose,” Elvira said. “This whole system is meant to be self-sustaining.”
Ben scratched the side of his head. “So… what’s the solution?”
“It’s still in research,” she admitted, her fingers tapping out a sequence of rune midair.
“But I’m experimenting with mana dispersal patterns. If I can shape the information stream to mimic ambient mana flow, essentially blending into the local leyline turbulence, then any interception attempt will cause it to dissolve instantly, without any trace.”
Ben tilted his head. “Can’t you just… do that? I mean, all we’re sending is mana in a specific pattern, right?”
Elvira let out a long, tired sigh. “Oh, my beloved…” she said sweetly, with a dangerous glint in her eye.
“That pattern is why people know it’s not ambient mana.”
Ben blinked. “…Right. Got it.”
“And that’s not even the hard part,” Elvira continued.
“The second phase involves embedding a self-disrupt trigger in the packet. Something that detects unauthorized analysis and shatters it back to ambient mana before the interceptor reads anything.
And for that, we need to use some kind of logic using magical circle or rune. Which mean it will become more obvious for our enemy to look for i.”
She turned her eyes toward the swirling vat of dark aether.
“But maybe…” her voice lowered, “Maybe this is the answer. This law-based energy isn’t bound by classical magic rules.
It reacts to interference instinctively. If I can get one with that effect…”
“Well anyway,” Ben said, waving a hand and pulling up a projection of the city. A detailed model of Krahal-Zir rose into the air, walls, districts, tunnels, vents, and mana lines all marked out in light.
“You should spend some time creating the node placements. Tell me if anything’s wrong. And check this too.”
He flicked his finger. A section of the projection zoomed in, highlighting the entertainment district. Then, the arena.
Elvira leaned forward, studying everything. But the moment her gaze landed on the amphitheater, a curved, multi-tiered structure nested in the third entertainment ring, her face lit up like someone had handed her a divine artifact.
“This…” she whispered. “This is perfect.”
Ben raised an eyebrow. “What?”
Elvira straightened, her lips pulling into a sly grin. “Let me handle this sector.”
Ben tilted his head. “You want to manage the theater?”
“No. I want to run it,” Elvira replied, eyes sparkling.
Ben blinked. ‘Figures. No matter the world, drama always finds its fans.’
He never asked, but he already knew Elvira had been addicted to K-dramas from his old world. He’d caught her watching them a few times in his memories.
Well, to be fair… they were addictive. He watched them too.
He let out a slow sigh. “Fine. Do what you want. Just make sure it fits the audience… and the purpose.”
“Don’t worry,” she said, already planing what she want to show on her mind “I know you’re just trying to spread propaganda. I’ll handle it.”
“Alright. I’m also planning a public gathering soon. You want to come?”
Elvira looked at him without answering. Her expression said it all.
You already know the answer.
Ben chuckled. “Of course. In that case, I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll come back later, with some golems.”
“Oh, one more thing,” Elvira said, not looking up. “Try returning to where Apophis’s sealing ground was.”
Ben raised an eyebrow. “Why? To look for her?”
Elvira’s eyes sharpened at that, clearly not liking his choice of words.
But she didn’t argue. Instead, she answered flatly, “No. Any place that concentrated that much mana, energy, and aether, like that one, should’ve left behind residue.
If my guess is right, that place might’ve turned into a crystal mine. Try digging around. You might find something.”
Ben’s eyes lit up, the thought of a new crystal mine igniting a spark of excitement.
A nearby source…
Right now, most of their white crystal stockpile was still located back at the base, far to the south.
It could be shipped, sure, but every load took time, resources, and constant escort. Monster raids, terrain hazards, the damn distance itself, it was always a hassle.
But if this worked?
If they found even a small vein close to the city… it would be a massive boon. Even Elvira’s experimental tech needed white crystal in large amounts.
“Perfect,” he muttered under his breath.
Already, plans began forming in his head. He’d bring a small team of Nephirid with him to explore the remains of the sealed ground.
Kaela and Tharn would be obvious choices. This way he can also gain their trust. But before anything else, he had to make sure the golems were ready.
They’d be the foundation of the mine.
Since Ben planned to attach the mine directly to Krahal-Zir’, he couldn’t use Krell there, not openly. It would raise too many questions.
Especially now, with the city under watch. The golems, however, were perfect.
“Don’t forget to clear the route,” Elvira added, flipping through a glowing tome. “I’ll expand the magic circle there. If we do it right, we can teleport materials directly.”
Ben nodded. With the plan taking shape in his head, he turned and left, heading straight back to his mansion.
Once there, he did a bit more work in the basement, adjusting floor supports, reinforcing walls, then summoned a dozen more Krell Workers to begin digging out new tunnels for future expansion.
Satisfied, he finally threw himself onto the bed upstairs, arms behind his head. Through the hive mind, he spread his awareness outward, tracking the operations at both of his bases.
Yes. Two.
People might forget, but he hadn’t.
Near the surface, his first hive still thrived, overseen by Aqua and Airi.
They were the only two Krell who had achieved Evolution so far. Ben still remembered the day the notification came in, flashing on his system. He hadn’t expected it. He suspected it was the result of extended separation from his core influence, or perhaps the extreme danger they constantly faced on the surface layer.
The evolution cost him many biomass and mana, but the result were worth it .Their minds sharpened, reaching the level of Krell Supervisors, and their bodies grew stronger, matching Krell Soldiers in brute capability.
After confirming their transformation, Ben had immediately given them new orders: abandon the downward tunnel that led to his layer, and instead dig upward, toward the surface.
They would be his spearhead. The vanguard for his eventual arrival to the world above.
Their progress had been slow at first. But using captured Ant Queens and feeding them Red Gamestones, they had greatly accelerated the hive’s expansion. The Red Stones acted like stimulants, strengthening reproductive cycles and expanding tunnel networks at abnormal speeds.
Now, that surface hive had swelled in size. Thousands of antlings crawled across its layered chambers, constantly moving, building, scouting. They weren’t mindless either. Under Aqua and Airi’s command, each section was coordinated with ruthless efficiency.
They were still a distance from breaking through to the surface, but every day brought them closer.
And when that day came?
Ben would finally uncover the truth about the world above, not just scattered rumors from the Lady of the Lake, or fragmented memories pulled from the Magus.
Because despite their recent battle, the Magus Ben defeated had clearly been underground for years. Isolated. 𝖓𝔬𝖛𝔭𝔲𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
That’s why he had been so quick to find Ben’s location.
But the surface? The real surface?
That was still a mystery.
And based on everything he’d pieced together so far, that was where his true enemy waited, the one who created the system, summoned him to this world, and unleashed the Daemon.
As for the lower base, its progress was steady. Unlike the upper hive that focused on expansion, this one served a different purpose. It was a forge. A factory.
A war machine built to mass-produce resources and equipment in preparation for the inevitable revolution against the Ashking.
